TOUGH LOVE
by blooms at night
Summary: A beautiful and intelligent brunette... A dark and handsome prince on the other side of the law. What happens when the handsome yet mysterious stranger crashes into her life, literally? This is the story of two people falling in love despite their odd circumstances... mafiaward
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: Stephanie Meyer owns all the character. :)**

 **CHAPTER 1:**

 **I'm running again. Whoever is chasing me is getting close. I'm scared. So very scared. I'm hoping he doesn't catch up with me. But this thought is not supported by my heart. It tells me to stop running. To reach out to the person who is behind me. He is close now. I can feel his presence. Abruptly, a hand reaches out and winds itself along my waist. His grip is tight and he is panting. Though I can sense an air of victory coming off of him. Like he has won his prize. "I've got you now Isabella."he coos in my ear…**

 **I wake up drenched in sweat. It's the same nightmare I've been having for some time. I sighed. Nothing new there. My digital clock at the bed side said 6:15 am in neon green letters. Well might as well wake up all the way. I slowly made my way out of my bed and headed to the bathroom. I needed a coffee soon and I'm not drinking any without having my teeth brushed. Once I brushed my teeth, I look into the mirror and saw flat brown eyes , a button nose, pale pink lips and boring brown hair reflected back at me. Well, that's me. Plain old Isabella Swan. Though, according to my friend and colleague Angela, I had deep chocolate brown eyes and mahogany hair with pouty lips. Her words ,not mine. We have worked together for about two years now. Ever since I first met her, Angela and I shared a deep bond. Sisterly even. We have worked together on many projects together. We were Google's best programmers.**

 **Yup. You heard it right. We worked at Google. I loved my job. I've always been a "nerd" ,I guess you could say. I was always best with computers and software and what not. I graduated early at 16 years old from Forks High School. After many discussions it was decided that I would go to Stanford. There I took a B-Tech degree in software engineering. After attending Google's examination , I passed with the top score and was asked to attend an interview. The interview went without a hitch and at 20 years old, I was offered a job as the Assistant engineer for systems development at Google. I met my best friend turned sister ,Angela there. And after working my ass off, and submitting the best projects out there, I was promoted within a very short period of time. Some might consider me lucky. But it was pure hard work.**

 **After washing my face, I headed straight for my coffee machine at the kitchen. I lived in a moderate sized flat at Chicago. Though why I decided to accept a job at Chicago, I have no idea. I just felt that I had to. That inexplicable pull…..**

 **I looked at the clock that hung on my wall. 6:45am. I better get ready. I took a long shower and put on my work clothes. A black pencil skirt and sleek white blouse that hugged my curves. I blow dried my hair and it hung in waves. I decided to stop at starbucks nearby to grab a bite. After wearing my black pumps, I felt ready to tackle the day. I took my car and keys from the shelf in the living room and after locking my apartment, I headed down .At the parking garage, I headed to my baby, a black Audi R8. By then it was already 7:15. After pulling out the car out of the garage, I headed straight to Starbucks.**

 **My mouth started to water at the prospect of a chocolate glazed donut from starbucks. I was feeling kind of weird today. A feeling of… anticipation? What was I anticipating? I had already submitted the Newman project. So then what was it? I decided that I didn't like this feeling. And instead of taking the highway I decided to take a shortcut.**

 **I drove through the narrow road at 50 miles per hour. I didn't want any accidents. Actually I haven't had any accidents ever since I had gotten my drivers license. I was a little smug about the fact that I was a really good driver. With those thoughts in my mind, I didn't see the black form that almost jumped out of nowhere infront of my car. I slammed on to the break, but I was a little late as what appeared to be a body splay in the middle of the road after the impact from my car. I was instantly alarmed!**

 **Oh my god! It had to happen to me. I knew I was getting way too smug about my driving. I looked around as I exited my car and saw that there was nobody around. I prayed to whoever was up there . "please god! Please let him be alive"**

 **Because as I neared I saw that it was a man in what appeared to be a very expensive suit. Armani I'm guessing. What was a guy like him doing in the shady parts of town? I wondered. He was lying in the road facing away from me. I kneeled down next to him and put my hands on his shoulders and turned him around.**

" **Hello? Sir ? can you hear me? I'm so sorry. Please wake up!" I cried.**

 **It was then I saw him. I had no words…. Handsome seemed to be inadequate. He was, for the lack of a better word, beautiful. Big and thick lashes, straight nose, pink lips that begged to be kissed and a prominent and angular jaw. And from what I could feel he was well toned. And looked to be atleast about 6"4.**

 **As I sat in shock I felt something wet coat my hands and when I looked down , I saw blood… lots of it. And not just by hitting my car, by the looks of it.**

 **As I was pondering all these thoughts, suddenly, his eyes opened. Emerald green orbs stared at my chocolate brown as I was stunned to silence.**


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER: Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight and its characters. I just make up the plot.**

 **Before I start I just want to thank everyone who reviewed ;) Thanks guys… You made my day.**

 **CHAPTER 2:**

Seconds passed …..Maybe days. I don't know anymore. I was grounded by his gaze… Those green orbs stared my chocolate browns and I was unable to utter a word. But the growing concern for this handsome stranger made me gather my wit and assess the situation. He was losing a lot of blood. From what I could see he had multiple cuts and scrapes along his face. How could I have not seen this before? He was clutching his left arm in pain. Wait..? What the hell?

It looked like a bullet wound! Oh my! Well I'll worry about that later.

"Sir? Can you hear me? I'm gonna call an ambulance. Hang on please." I said.

"Mphh ungg… ple… …assee" he mumbled. I couldn't make out what he was trying to tell me. He was struggling to tell me something. Even though his voice was scratchy and hoarse I could still tell that it was the most beautiful honey velvet voice I've ever heard. That sound pierced my soul and was ringing in my ears.

"Please calm down. Don't struggle. I've got you now. I promise you'll be fine. Just hang on please." I begged him. And as I was telling him this, I ran my hand through his gorgeous mane of bronze hair in order to calm him down. It seemed to be working because he closed his eyes in what seemed like contentment and I heard a small "hmmm…" coming from him.

Frantically I searched my purse for my iphone. I dialed the number for the ambulance and stated my emergency. While I was waiting I looked closer to the handsome stranger. What was wrong with me? I couldn't take my eyes off him. I was never like this. Though I've had my fair share of advances from the opposite sex, I've never given them my time of day. Not because I felt I was above them. No, not at all. But because I yearned for something more than a casual relationship. Something profound and meaningful. Angela always teased me saying that I was supposed to be born in the early 19th century.

So what if I was different? I was always the painfully shy kid in high school. I was too busy studying and graduating early to even think about dating. And when I did and reached college, I was the underage nerd that people stayed away from. I was always the youngest in my class. And the small amount of friends I made was equally nerdy. My dad Charlie swan, a police chief in the small town of Forks, always enquired me about my lack of a "love life". (I scoffed at that term as I remembered my dad once asking me about it). Poor guy was scared. He thought I never pursued any relationship because of my parents. You see, my flighty, scatterbrained mother Renee left my father when I was just two, stating that she couldn't spend her life in this dreary little town. She was a kindergarden teacher and was now happily married to Phil Dwyer, a minor league baseball player.

And ever since my mom left my dad, I was shipped back and forth to my dad and mom. Needless to say, it wasn't an ideal childhood.

But no, it wasn't that. If anything it made me all the more determined in finding my own soul mate. That one person who would be with me no matter what. And I didn't want to settle for anything less.

After I graduated from college with flying colors, I joined Google and the rest, as they say, was history. I did go out a few times with my colleagues and there were a handful of blind dates that my friends set me up with. But there wasn't a … spark, I guess you could say. They were just dates. I've never been as fascinated with anyone as I was with this guy. I yearned to know his name.

He slowly opened his eyes. He was about to say something to me. And as he opened his mouth, I heard the distant sounds of an ambulance. I whipped my head around to see a white ambulance coming closer to where we were. Suddenly the hand that I was using to comb through his hair was encased in two large, warm hands.

I looked down to see that my handsome stranger was clutching my hand tightly between his. "Don't…. leeaaaa…ve" he said.

My heart broke. Who was this creature? Who was this man who invoked such strong feelings in me? I felt a strange sense of protectiveness course through me. Suddenly I wanted, no, needed to make sure that he won't be sad or hurt. I was really confused with myself. But I figured I would deal with that later on.

"I promise you sir, I won't leave you. I will be coming with you to the hospital. "Yes I would be going with him. I couldn't find it in me to leave him there. I just had to make sure that he would be fine.

But before that I needed to call my workplace to tell them that I won't be coming to work today. In my two years of working, I've never taken a leave, not even a sick leave. But it seems today was all about breaking traditions.

" Ehhh…..dddd….waaaardd" he croaked. Huh? What was that about? Edward? Oh! Tubelight! His name was Edward I'm guessing.

"Edward? You are Edward?" I asked him.

He slowly nodded yes.

"That's a really nice name. Don't worry Edward I'm not leaving you." I told him.

The ambulance stopped and the EMTs rushed out. I watched as they strapped him in.

"Will you be coming with us ma'am? " An EMT asked me.

"No. I will follow you guys in my car." I told him.

He nodded and shut the door. I myself rushed to my car and after sending a small text saying that I won't be coming in today, I followed the ambulance.

We reached the Northwestern Memorial Hospital within minutes. They rushed him inside. I sent a silent prayer to whoever was up there to save him. The thought of something happening to him scared me.

I followed them till the operating theatre.

"Sorry ma'am. But you can't go any further." One of the nurses told me.

I sighed. What a day! As I waited outside the theatre, I was clearly an emotional mess. I was confused, scared, alone and frightened! What was going on with me! Why am I behaving like this? Despite all this, I couldn't shake the thought that no matter whom he was or what I felt towards him, he was dangerous. Well, maybe not so much to me. Because, well, I did save him. (After hitting him with your car, you idiot! I mentally chastised myself.)

I was shaken from my inner monologue by my phone. I looked at the caller id. Angela! I sighed.

"Hello?"

"Bella? What happened? I heard you took a leave today! That never happened before! What's wrong? Are you sick? Are you injured? Did you fall down?" She asked in practically one breath.

"Calm down Angie. I'm fine. I'm uhh…. well, at a hospital right now. I accidentally crashed into someone and I rushed him to the hospital" I told her.

"Whoa! Are you fine by yourself? Should I come? Is he alright? "She again ambushed me with her questions.

"It's alright. Nothing I can't manage. But umm give me an update on what goes on with our new project, eh?"

"Of course Bells. Be safe, hon. Ben and I were scared for you."

Ben Cheney was her sweet and kind boyfriend. Ben was always like a brother to me. And was there whenever I needed him. He was the one who usually "screened" my dates. I smiled slightly at the memory.

"Angie, I've got to go. I'll call you later with the details."

"OK. Bye Bella."

"Bye Angie."

I then saw the doctor coming out of the room. He was a middle aged man with a warm smile that had me immediately at ease.

"Doctor, is he going to be alright?" I asked him.

"Well, uhh…" he started.

"Bella" I supplied.

"Bella, I'm afraid his body has taken quite a toll. He's lost a lot of blood. And we operated the bullet out of him. He might not be able to move his hand around as much. But he will recover soon. He has 3 broken ribs, a fracture in his right leg and a severe concussion. But apart from that, he is fine. He might wake up within the next three hours or so." He listed off his injuries.

"Thank you Doctor Hill. Can I go see him? "

"Of course. He's being moved from the operation theatre to one of the observation rooms. It's right here. You can go visit him now." He smiled at me.

I thanked the doctor once more and headed off to the observation room. I entered the room and a pang went through my heart as I looked at him. There were tubes and needles hooked up to every part of his body. His breathing was laborious and he looked so very pale. Maybe because of the blood loss. I sat on a chair next to his bed and silently assessed him.

His upper torso was bare and I could see that he worked out quite well. His arms were big and muscle-y and I wondered how it would feel like to be encased in them. To be lost in his arms….. I blushed at my thoughts. They were leading to not so innocent thoughts while he was unconscious. I mentally chastised myself for being so crude. But hey, I am a girl.

He had a tattoo on his left pec, near his heart. It looked like a crest of some sort, and might I say, it looked very *cough* sexy *cough*. I ran my hand across his tattoo and traced its borders. It was a piece of art. I sighed. This man is making me lose all coherent thought and he wasn't even conscious. With these thoughts in my mind I silently drifted to sleep.

A light brush across my cheek woke me up. Last I remembered, I was admiring my stra… I mean Edward (seriously! What was with me, calling him mine!) and then I rested my head on his mattress careful not to disturb him.

The brushes then moved on to my lower lips slightly tracing their curve. I shivered slightly and looked up. He was looking down at me with a small smile on his lips.

I cleared my throat and sat up, immediately missing those caresses.

"Hi Edward." I smiled slightly.

"Hi…" he had a look of confusion on his face. That's when I knew I never told him my name.

"I'm Bella. Bella Swan. I ummm hit you with my car earlier." I said sheepishly.

He chuckled. And oh! What a sound that was. Rich, dark and velvety. Something about him made warning bells go off in my head, but I instead, decided to listen to my heart. And it was telling me to know more about him.

"Hello Bella. I'm glad you hit me with your car." He winked.

My jaw fell open. Was he teasing me? Or… flirting with me?

Well, nuh uh mister. You owe me some answers.

"So….. You had a bullet wound Edward. Um, what happened? If you don't mind me asking. I mean, feel free to ignore the question." I blushed again. Ugh! I hate myself right now.

His eyes tightened a bit when I said that. But his smile remained in place. "You have a beautiful blush Bella. It looks adorable on you" he remarked.

It didn't escape my notice that he completely ignored my question. Well, I would not pressure him. If he didn't want to tell me, then who am I to demand answers? But hey, I am amazing with a laptop and there is no end to what I could do with one. Just saying. My inner self let out a cheeky smile. I'm gonna find who you are and what happened to you, Edward.

"Um, well, thank you Edward. Wait, what's your last name?" I asked him.

"Cullen. I'm Edward Cullen. "He said extending his hands.

Aha! I tucked that piece of information away for later use.

"Pleased to meet you Mr. Cullen. I'm, well you already know my name, but I'm Isabella Swan and people call me Bella." I told him.

He took my hand and instead of shaking it, he flipped and pressed a light kiss there. My skin tingled from where he kissed and I started blushing furiously.

"Well, Ms Swan, if it wasn't for you, I'd be six feet under right now. And for that I will always be thankful. Just keep in mind that you never have to be scared of me Bella." He said seriously.

A cold chill went down my spine at his words.

"And why would I be scared of you Edward?" I whispered looking into his now cold emerald eyes.

"Because, I'm the world's most dangerous predator, Bella." He smiled coldly.

What have I gotten myself into?

…

 **Well, there you have it. Chapter2. I hope you liked it. Please leave reviews to let me know. Also, I was planning on writing a chapter on Edward's point of view. What do you think? Should I do it? Please let me know.**

 **Love,**

 **Blooms at night x**


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER: Stephanie Meyer owns twilight. ;) I own the plot.**

 **CHAPTER 3**

 **EPOV:**

Pain. Blinding pain. My left arm feels like it is on fire. I didn't know where I was going. My vision was becoming hazy. Thinking back, I never should have trusted that son of a bitch. But hey, at least the other guy looked worse than me. Well, he was dead. But still….

My day started like any other normal day. Normal for me, I mean. Because let's face it. Being the head of the biggest crime organization in the country wasn't something you get used to.

It was when I was standing by the docks waiting for the shipment, that my day took a turn for the worst. Not that it wasn't already. It was a pretty shitty day considering the fact that I found out from Jasper, my right hand and my brother-in-law, that I had rats in my organization.

To say that I was livid was an understatement. I was a cruel bastard. I knew that. Hell, everybody who could see me would know that. Never show any emotions. That was my motto. Emotions would lead to weakness and that would be disastrous. Not just to me, but to my family as well.

Ever since I turned fifteen and got inducted to the life, I've never been one to show any emotion. I forgot the last time I smiled about something. Everybody, including my family was scared of me to a certain extent. And I wasn't exactly thrilled about the latter part, but you gotta do what you gotta do. It wasn't easy, but I managed.

My father was Carlisle Cullen. A feared mob boss and a true leader. He inherited the position from his father, Nicolai Cullen. There wasn't a single crime family in the world who didn't know him. He was pretty ruthless in his time. That was when he met my mother, Esme Platt. She was a student at the Illinois school of architecture earning her degree. She was returning from college one day when she stumbled upon Carlisle. He was chasing someone when he collided into my mother. He caught her before she went down of course. But when he decided to chase the guy without even apologizing to her, my mother being her, twisted Carlisle's ears and asked him to say those magic words. While my mother stood there waiting for his apology, my father unbeknownst to him, fell in love with her with that single gesture.

He then apologized to her, saying he was sorry for stumbling upon her, but not sorry that he made her "fall for him". Esme became furious and left the premises claiming that he was a self centered jerk. Needless to say, my father pursued her day and night, convincing her that he wasn't a complete asshole. And that was the beginning of a beautiful chapter for them. To this day, I see them looking at each other with so much love, like it was the first time they were seeing each other. They got married soon after that and had three children. Me, being the eldest. Two years later, they had Emmet. Mary Alice Cullen followed three years after that.

When I turned twenty one, my father claimed that I was ready to handle the responsibilities and so, he stepped down letting me take the lead. By then, I was a perfect mafia king. Vile and ruthless, the laws bent for me and the people bowed down for me. I had everything. Money, luxuries, women….. But I knew, I was missing something vital. Something important. But until I found what it was, I would be this cold, uncaring shell.

The dock was pretty deserted when me, Jasper and Emmet reached there. As it was supposed to be. There was a shipment guns arriving tonight and we were supposed to intercept it. It was a fairly simple job. And nobody knew about it except the three of us and our father. So I saw no reason to be more cautious.

Looking back, I should have taken more precautions. I should have connected the dots.

"The Volturi are getting more desperate Edward. We should do something about it." Jasper informed me.

A cold look and a nod was my reply. He knew what it meant. _Those bastards are as good as dead for messing with me._

"Oh man! This better be quick. Ma is making chicken casseroles. And I'm so damn hungry!" Emmet exclaimed.

"Man, you are always hungry. You just ate 3 cheese burgers and a chocolate shake from the diner." Jazz threw a withering look at Em.

"Your point, Jazz?" Em guffawed.

"Keep it down guys. We don't want to gather unnecessary attention." I warned them.

"Why so serious Eddie?" Em began laughing.

Within seconds I had him under a headlock.

"Call me Eddie one more time and you will be facing my Beretta." I informed him calmly.

"Jeez, sorry man. You are always so bloody uptight. It won't kill you to show some kind of emotion."

"Unfortunately, emotions are not my forte." I threw him a look that said keep quiet.

But if I knew my brother, he wasn't one to back down from an argument.

"Bullshit, Edward! You know how your attitude affects Ma. You've been like this for years. What crawled up your ass and died? I know you do this to protect us. But enough is enough Edward!" Em raised his voice.

"Em, shut up." I said. My senses were alerted. There was something wrong. So terribly wrong.

"No Edward. I don't care that you'll kill me if it means you go back to our Edward. This is just…." I cut him halfway putting my hands over his mouth.

"Shut up!" I pointed to where I saw a movement.

He quickly caught on. So did Jazz. We took out our weapons.

It happened very quickly. Out of nowhere, bullets started buzzing past our heads. We crouched down near my black Volvo and looked around. Three on my left, four on my right and two more a few yards away from my Volvo. We were bloody surrounded!

This was definitely an insider job. I cursed as I realized that I should have given more importance to Jazz's concerns.

I quickly gestured that I was gonna go all out and they should cover me. They nodded. This was their boss speaking. Not their brother.

Time literally slowed down. Everything was going in slow motion around me. I inhaled deeply.

You're going down fuckers.

I exhaled releasing all my breath and in that instant, I went out of my cover and started shooting in precision. I had two guns with me. With my left I aimed at the two behind my Volvo. I fired in two rapid successions and they were down. At the same time, with my right, I got the two that were on my right side.

Then with both my guns, I took the third one down. Behind me Emmet and Jasper was putting down the remaining three.

At the last moment I noticed a blur of blonde hair. He had his aim on Emmet. Hell no! I couldn't get a clear shot on him and I did the only thing I could. I jumped in front of Emmet. But I was careful not to let the bullet hit me anywhere important. A burning pain in my upper left hand told me that I had successfully diverted the one heading for Em's heart.

Emmet took the chance and shot the fucker down. And lo and behold! James fucking Hunter! My dealer and manager of one of my clubs. I guess, that was one rat I won't have to be worried about. I gritted my teeth in frustration. This was far from over.

I could hear the footsteps echoing around us. There were at least four more. From my left, I heard Jasper crying out. Shit! I turned around and blindly fired from where I assumed the bullet had come. It was around 3 am in the morning and very dark. The only light was coming from the streetlight at least four yards away. The resounding _thud_ indicated that he was down.

I saw Jasper lying a few feet away from me. He was injured. Badly. The bullet penetrated below his sternum and he was bleeding profusely. He needed a doctor and fast. I was no doctor, but even I could tell that he was dying. I ignored what pain I felt and called Emmet.

"Emmet, get Jasper and get out of here, pronto."

"Edward, you are coming with us. I'm not leaving you here." Emmet begged me.

"Listen to me. If I leave now, the remaining fuckers will report back and that is not good for us. This ends right here. Get out of here right NOW!" my eyes blazed.

I guess Emmet understood what I was talking about since he nodded gravely at me. It was pretty dark, but the distant light reflected something shining on Emmet's cheeks. Like I said no fucking emotions. It won't get the job done.

Within seconds he hightailed out of there in my Volvo. I used their getaway as a distraction and fired once again from where I heard a sound. A loud cry alerted me that one more was down.

Two down, two to go.

I caught sight of one and was about to shoot him down when abruptly, the other one jumped from somewhere on my side. We went down in a heap. My gun flew from my hand. I cursed. My other hand was pretty useless and I had already given my second gun to Em.

I flipped backwards and kicked the guy in the shin. The other one then came charging at me, but I feigned left and had him on a strong head hold. When the first guy again came at me, I let the one in my hold take the impact. He went crashing down. I then punched the first with all my might, but the second one took a crowbar that was lying nearby and swung it. It hit my midsection and I could literally hear my ribs crack. Son of a… I bit my lip and maneuvered the crow bar out of his hands and swung it to his head. The metallic ringing sound followed by a crack assured me that the guy was a goner.

But I went to the ground twisting my right leg. Fortunately, I could see my Beretta as it lied a few feet away from me. I once again used the crowbar to hit the other guy's leg and then crawled to get my Beretta. Once I did, I aimed it at the guy's stomach and shot.

He roared. "How many left?" I asked him

He grunted, but didn't answer me.

"Tell me how many more, and I will put an end to your torture. NOW!"

"No…one. You got every … single... one…"

"Who sent you? Was it the Volturi?" I put my revolver on his head.

"y….eeessss"

I pressed the trigger and he was dead.

I quickly dismantled my Beretta and threw it to the ocean. There goes the proof.

By now, my body was covered in bruises and scrapes and I had lost a lot of blood. I knew it wasn't a good idea for me to stay here. It might be over for now, but when the Volturi don't get any reports back, more might come to finish the job.

I hobbled out of there as quickly as I could and took a small road down the street. Now, if only I could find a pay phone. By now it was light everywhere and I knew it won't be long until people saw me. I don't know how long I walked and I wasn't sure as to where I was heading.

My head was pounding and I was becoming very dizzy. Out of nowhere, I was aware of a sudden impact and I went down.

I was sure I was as good as dead. I became numb. The sensations were cut off. Was it too late to ask for redemption?

As I lied there waiting for my death, I heard a beautiful voice. It was like a choir of bells in a bright summer morning.

"Hello sir? Can you hear me? I'm so sorry. Please wake up."

It was an angel's voice. That's curious. I thought that, with the amount of crimes that I had committed within my short life time, I had surely booked a one-way, front row ticket to hell. But what was an angel doing here? And more importantly why did she sound like she was in pain? Surely, a heaven's child should know no sorrow? I wanted to tell her it's alright. I wanted to tell her not to be worried. But my body was not complying with my mind.

I willed my eyes to open. I had to see this angel if it was the last thing to do. I found the strength to open my eyes. And when I did, I almost died and went to heaven. Because as my eyes met the drowning pool of molten chocolates, I saw in them what I have never before seen in my life… beauty, compassion, innocence, kindness, purity and ….concern? All of this was directed towards me. ME!

"Sir? Can you hear me? I'm gonna call an ambulance. Hang on please." The angel said.

I wanted to tell her not to bother. I wanted to tell her to stay here with me. I wanted to tell her to never let go. But all that came out of my mouth was "Mphh ungg… ple… …ssee"

I know. Pathetic right?

Maybe she saw me struggling because she said "Please calm down. Don't struggle. I've got you now. I promise you'll be fine. Just hang on please."

Easy for you to say angel. You aren't the one who is literally dying to get some words out. I thought.

Hey were was all this sarcasm coming from? It certainly wasn't something I had before I met her. But all my thoughts and struggles were put to silence when she ran her hands through my hair. It felt….. Amazing, wonderful, glorious. Who was this woman and where was she my whole life? Her actions evoked a small sound of contentment to pass through my lips.

I closed my eyes and enjoyed this small piece of heaven. But when I opened my eyes my angel was turning away from me. Was she leaving me? I couldn't have that!

"Don't…. leeaaaa…ve" I croaked. Ugh! I can't believe how pathetic I sounded. If Emmet could see me right now, he would have a field day with this.

But my angel, being the good soul that she was assured me that she wasn't going away. But what was all this "sir" crap? I wanted her to utter my name. I wanted to hear how it would sound.

So I informed her my name. I think she understood because she complimented me on how good my name was. Well, it was about the only thing good about me, I thought wryly.

Slowly I started drifting apart but I swore that if I did recover from this, which I will, I would get to know this angel. I would make her mine…

 **Ta-da! Do you like it? :D it was quite difficult to write a chapter based on Edward's point of view, but I discovered that as I started writing, I couldn't just stop. I want to thank all of whom reviewed the last chapter. If this chapter gets good reviews, I will update within the next 24 hours**

 **Until next time..**

 **Blooms at night x**


	4. Chapter 4

**DISCLAIMER: Stephanie Meyer owns twilight. :D**

 **CHAPTER 4:**

 **EPOV:**

Time didn't make much sense to me. Although the pain was subsided, I was not happy about it. Pain meant that I'm still alive. But what was this weird numb feeling? All sensations were cut off and it was as if my mind was a prisoner in this body.

I started slipping further into unconsciousness and for the first time in my life, I was scared. Scared that I won't make it. Scared that I won't get to see my parents or my brothers and my sisters. But above all, I was scared that I won't get to see the angel's face once again. To feel the smoothness of her touch, the softness of her caresses on my hair, the melody of her voice… I yearned for all those things and more, so much more.

Abruptly, I found myself standing at my parent's. I was looking through the window facing the back yard. There, I saw the younger 6 year old Emmet chasing a small 3 year old Alice. She was screaming without abandon and running away from him. But of course Emmet caught up to her, picked her up and swung around. Their laughter was infectious and I found myself smiling at the scene. In the sidelines, I could see my dad next to the grill. He was, according to him, "manning" the grill. I snickered at that. Vaguely, in the back of my mind, I recognized this as one of my memories.

"What are you smiling at, hon?" Esme asked as she stood behind me. It was then that I noticed that I was a smaller version of me.

"Nothing Ma. I'm just looking at Em and Ali. He caught her." I giggled.

She smiled at me and said "Why don't you go and join them? I'm sure they miss their brother."

Looking at the scene, I knew I wanted to join them, but I had to ask something to Esme first.

"Ma, do you love me?"

She looked at me in horror "Honey, what kind of a question is that? Of course I love you. You know that. Why do you ask?"

"Just simply. Will you still love me if I become horrible and don't talk to you that much?"

"Oh baby, I don't know why you're asking me this, but let me tell you, a mother's love is unconditional. No matter whom the child turns out to be, no matter what they do, a mother still loves her child Edward, because the child is a part of herself. And I would still love you, no matter who you become or what you do. Never forget that. Promise me Edward." She said.

"I promise Ma."

"Go and have fun baby. But remember, you will always have your family no matter what." She gently reminded me.

The background started fading out and I found myself fighting with my consciousness. I was slipping in and out of it. I could make out different voices. But none of them sounded familiar.

"… broken ribs….. recover…."

"…..concussion….."

"Poor girl….. looks really concerned…" 

It was some time after, which I felt my body. I wriggled my fingers experimentally. Still attached. Thank god! I focused all my energy into opening my eyes. It was really hard because I felt like somebody had just beaten me to a pulp then made me a road kill. Well part of it was true, but still…..

After a lot of huffing and puffing, I was able to open my eyes… and I found myself looking into bright lights… at least, what I thought were bright lights. But as my vision adjusted, I could see that it was almost evening and the sun was about to set. Well, I slept the day away… a small motion out of the corner of my eyes had me looking at my left side, and oh! What a view it was.

There she was, my angel, all curled up and fast asleep. It was the first time I was seeing her properly, since this horrible morning. Of course the first thing I noticed was her thick mane of dark, mahogany hair that spread around her like a halo. Fitting, I decided, for an angel like her. Her lavender eyelids were adorned with thick eyelashes which lightly brushed her cheeks.

She had a really adorable button nose, which I suddenly had the urge to rub mine with. I smiled at that thought. One day soon…..

Her rosy lips were plump and pouty. Her mouth was parted slightly and I could see that she was muttering something. Did she talk in her sleep? That was just priceless. Ignoring the protests from my broken ribs, I leaned slightly to hear what she was saying.

"…. Green eyes…. So pretty… "

Wait, was she talking about me? Hope suddenly flared within me, only to be quenched at the thought that there might be other green eyed person she knew. I was very cross all of a sudden. I couldn't explain the sudden rush of jealousy coursing through me. The feeling was disturbing and unfamiliar. Unfamiliar, because I have never, in my life, felt jealous towards anyone. But here I am, plotting the death of any unsuspecting males that she might have in her life.

I groaned. This was not good. I had already developed a sort of possessive feeling towards her which I wasn't sure was good or bad for her. To drag her into my life would mean the end of her peaceful one. But as I gazed at the beauty that lay beside me, I couldn't find it in me to care about it.

I had the sudden urge to touch her, maybe just her cheeks, I decided. Carefully I lifted my fingers and lightly brushed her cheeks. They were so soft and silky. Not an ounce of makeup there. I thought back to the amount of girls I have seen and been with. Never before have I seen someone look so naturally beautiful. The other girls that I have seen before always had makeup caked thickly on their face and they had more plastic than flesh in their bodies.

But looking at her now, I could see that my angel was not artificial.

"….. Edward…" she suddenly muttered. Was she awake? I looked at her closed eyelids. No. she was dreaming. And I was sure it was about me. The chances of someone else having my name and my color of eyes would be rare. I was worried for a moment. Was her dream good? Or was she running away from me?

"Don't leave Edward. Stay." She said, warming my ice cold heart.

Warmth flooded through me. I was basking in these feelings and I felt light and happy. For the first time since I was thrust into this life, I felt truly and utterly content with her by my side

I slowly traced her cheeks once again, and then moved my fingers down her cheeks to her bottom lips. I brushed my thumb slightly under it. She parted those further and at that instant, desire shot through me like molten volcano.

Slowly, her eyelids parted and I found myself looking into those bottomless pools of chocolate brown. She blushed slightly and cleared her throat. When she sat straight, I was instantly sad at the loss of contact.

She smiled slightly and in that melodious voice said, "Hi Edward "

My name coming from her lips sounded even better when she was awake.

"Hi…." But then I realized, I never asked her name. I kept referring to her as "my angel", but in reality, I didn't know her name. She quickly rectified it though.

"I'm Bella. Bella Swan. I ummm hit you with my car earlier." She had a somewhat sheepish expression on her face. And damn it, if I didn't find that endearing as hell. So her name was Bella…. Beautiful… very fitting.

I chuckled slightly at her sheepishness. It wasn't her fault.

"Hello Bella. I'm glad you hit me with your car." I winked at her. And I was rewarded with a shocking expression from her. Her jaw fell open.

"So….. You had a bullet wound Edward. Um, what happened? If you don't mind me asking. I mean, feel free to ignore the question." She blushed once again.

I wasn't quite reading to answer THAT one yet. I needed some time to decide how to break it to her because I couldn't have her running away from me. I wanted her to get to know the real me before she was faced with the fact that I am a mafia leader.

So I diverted the topic and commented on her blush. I was once again rewarded by the sight as her blush deepened.

"Um, well, thank you Edward. Wait, what's your last name?" she asked me.

"Cullen. I'm Edward Cullen. "I said, extending my hands. Well, there you have it. I'm not scared if she would Google it. They didn't have anything on us. It would just let her know that I'm a wealthy businessman.

"Pleased to meet you Mr. Cullen. I'm, well you already know my name, but I'm Isabella Swan and people call me Bella." Aah so that's her full name. I contemplated on running a background check on her, but quickly shot that thought down. If I wanted to know something about her, she would tell me.

When she extended her own hands, I engulfed them in mine and pressed a light kiss on the back.

"Well, Ms Swan, if it wasn't for you, I'd be six feet under right now. And for that I will always be thankful. Just keep in mind that you never have to be scared of me Bella." I told her seriously.

I couldn't help it. I had the sudden need to bare my soul to her. But since I couldn't, I settled on what little bit of information I could tell her.

"And why would I be scared of you Edward?" she whispered.

"Because, I'm the world's most dangerous predator, Bella." I smiled coldly.

She stared unabashedly into my eyes. And as we sat there staring at each other, I could see the myriad of emotions pass through her eyes.

Fear, uncertainty, doubt, confusion, anger, compassion and finally…resolve.

She steeled her eyes and faced me head on.

"I'm not scared of you." Her voice rang in the empty silence between as. They were not timid or uncertain or fake. Right then, I had another quality to add to the list of qualities that Bella possessed. She was firm in whatever decision she took. And once she took a stand on something, she stood by it.

My admiration for this woman grew exponentially.

"Why are you not scared, my angel?" I asked her. I had to know the reason behind it.

"Because Edward, you might be the most dangerous predator out there, but I know for a fact that you would never hurt me. I'm sure of it." She claimed.

Frankly, I was stunned. Of course what she said was right. She never had to be afraid of me for any reason. If anything I should be scared of her because of the power she has over me.

I laughed loudly. This was by far, the best day I've ever had even counting my injuries.

She looked annoyed, maybe thinking that I was laughing at her. Her face twisted into a scowl and she huffed out.

"Why are you laughing at me?"

"I'm not laughing at you, angel. I'm just laughing because I'm happy. And I'm happy because what you said was right. I would never hurt you Bella. I'd die before harming a single hair on you. "

"Well that's good. Now, are you thirsty? Or hungry? I can get you something."

"Um, just a glass of water would be fine." I said. I was feeling rather thirsty.

She quickly poured a glass of water from the jug and put a straw in it. She then held it towards me. When I reached out she just shooed my hands away and placed the straw on my lips.

Bossy much? I chucked.

I drank greedily from the straw. And when I was done, I told her so. After placing the glass on the table, she asked a question that I was dreading to hear.

"So, shouldn't we let your family know about your condition?"

I grimaced. I don't know what they might be going through. It was then that I remembered. Jasper! Shit! What happened to him? I hope for my sister's sake that he pulled through.

"I need a cell phone. And to answer your question, yes I have to call them."

She proceeded to take out her phone and then offered it to me.

With my uninjured hand, I took it and dialed my father's number.

It rang thrice, before my father picked up.

"Carlisle Cullen" he answered.

"Hey dad, it's me Edward. Could you maybe um, come and pick me up?"

…

 **That was chapter 4. Hope you enjoyed it. It's back to Bella's POV on the next chapter. Please review…. ;)**

 **Love,**

 **Blooms at night x**


	5. Chapter 5

**DISCLAIMER: Stephanie Meyer owns twilight and its characters. ;)**

 **CHAPTER 5:**

 **BPOV**

I really didn't want to leave the hospital. But, I did have a life outside and I couldn't stay there forever. Last night, after Edward called his dad, a bit sheepishly might I add, he told me that he was on his way. I wondered what made Edward so edgy since he was fidgeting so much. A few minutes after that, the door burst open and in came a striking blonde model. His golden hair was brushed back neatly and his ocean blue eyes had so many secrets in them. Anybody who saw him would automatically look away; it was hard not to be intimidated by Edward's father. I could still remember the conversation I had with him last night.

After he burst in, he took one look at Edward and in that cold tone that matched Edward, asked "What happened?"

"Things went wrong. I underestimated everything." Was all Edward said. He then glanced at me, which didn't go unnoticed by the blonde guy. (I still didn't know his name.)

"Well, what do we have here?" his dad asked, his demeanor completely changed. Gone was the ice cold man from seconds before. It was like a switch was flipped and somehow he became a different personality. He smiled widely at me showing all his teeth. His expression was… boyishly cute. I couldn't help but smile back.

"I'm Isabella Swan, sir." I politely said.

"Well, nice to meet you Isabella. I'm Carlisle Cullen. This bad boy's father and the most handsome person you'll ever meet." He then proceeded to wink at me. I blushed. Obviously. No surprises there.

"Please call me Bella, sir" I told him.

"Only if you call me Carlisle, sweetheart." He took my hand and kissed it.

Behind us, Edward cleared his throat quite loudly.

"I'm right here, old man." He said somewhat annoyingly.

"Hey, who are you calling old!" Carlisle cried indignantly.

Edward just rolled his eyes in response. He then proceeded to explain all of what happened in the last few hours. Carlisle sat listening patiently, nodding his head once in a while. After Edward was done, Carlisle just sighed and told him that they'd discuss it when they reached home.

But then Carlisle turned towards me and said, "I'm glad you saved Edward, Bella. Truly, you are an angel. I don't think many people would do what you did if they were in your place. For that I'll be forever grateful."

"Please, no need to thank me. It was my duty. And I don't think anybody would hesitate doing it."

He just smiled in response.

"Now we should get out of here as quickly as we can. We don't want too much attention on you." Carlisle said as he stared at Edward.

"Will the doctors sign his release form? They said that he was badly injured and needed some time to recover. "

"Well, all I need to do is work some Cullen magic, Bella. But no worries, I'm a practiced doctor and am fully capable of looking after my son." He smiled kindly.

After that the room was a whirlwind of activities. Carlisle made some calls and Edward's doctor came into the room signing his release forms. I was very suspicious of the whole deal, but hid it quickly. The arrangements were made and Edward was wheeled out of the hospital towards a black Mercedes Guardian that was waiting for him.

After he went into the car, Edward took my hand in his.

"Give me your phone" he said.

I handed him my phone. He then proceeded to save a series of numbers on it under several names.

"I've saved my old cell phone number. It would take a few hours for me to get a new phone but in the mean time, if you need to call me for something, I have also saved my parent's number, my brother's and my landline. I already have your number seeing as I called my dad with your phone." he babbled.

"Edward, I'll be fine. I swear. Now you need to go and take plenty of rest."

"Ok Ok. But I promise you, we'll see each other very soon, Bella."

"Is that a threat, Edward?"I joked.

"No, angel, that's a promise. And I always keep my promise." He said seriously.

By then, Carlisle came out of the hospital.

"Bella, you have to come and visit us soon. Are you free this week?" Carlisle implored.

I couldn't get out of it, but I really didn't want to. So I told him, I would be free after Friday.

"Then, we'll be expecting you bright and early Saturday morning. I'll send a car for you at 8:00 am sharp. There is something we need to discuss and it's not wise to delay it." He said looking at Edward.

Something in his tone said not to argue. So I kept my mouth shut. I would be getting my answers soon. I exchanged my address and said goodbye to him.

Edward still had me in his death grip. So I gently reminded him that he has to go. Edward let go of my hand and took my face in his. He bent his face down. By then I was sitting inside the car and someone shut the door. I was about to turn around to look who did that, but the next second, all coherent thoughts left me as his lips brushed mine. I shuddered at the electric shock that went through me. He then pressed his lips to mine gently, but more firmly. Needless to say, I lost control and my hands, of their own accord, wrapped themselves around his neck. I moaned slightly which seemed to spur him on. He kissed me more deeply and I found myself lost in that kiss. Before it could proceed any further, I stopped myself. I pulled away from him and we stared at each other.

"Saturday." I said.

He nodded and released me from his grip. I quickly got out of the car, and shut the door. Carlisle, who was standing outside, nodded at me, and then got in.

I watched as they drove away. With a heavy heart, I walked towards my own car and drove home. Which leads me to now. I was in my bed tossing and turning, unable to sleep. With just a single kiss, he sealed my fate. I was like a drug addict and his kisses were my addiction. I yearned for Edward.

I sat up and took my phone from the nightstand. After scrolling through my contacts, I found the number saved under "Edward Cullen". Should I call? What if he's asleep? I shouldn't wake him up. He needs his rest, right? Right.

A loud ringing sound shook me from my monologues. I looked at the phone. Edward Cullen calling, it said.

My face split into a wide smile. Without wasting another second, I accepted the call.

"Hello?" my voice was a breathless whisper.

"Hello my angel. Why do you sound out of breath?" he purred.

I melted right there and then. Damn you Edward Cullen for turning me into this pile of goo.

"Um, it's nothing. I just couldn't sleep." I answered.

"Hmmmmm neither could I, baby. Not a single second went by, without the thoughts of you, your gorgeous face, luscious lips and their sweet taste… Mmmm…" he hummed

Oh god! What the hell is wrong with me! I was beginning to pant and I'm sure he heard it.

"Edward….." I whimpered.

"Yes, angel?"

"You need to stop talking like that. You're making me feel light-headed." I complained.

He chuckled. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. But I couldn't resist. I'll behave from now on. I promise."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "How are you? Did you take your meds and all?"

"Unfortunately, yes. My mother has turned into a dictator now. She won't let me forget a pill. "he sighed.

"Well, that's good. I'm glad she's making you take all your meds. You need them so you can recover more quickly, Edward."

"I know. But doesn't mean I have to like it." He whined childishly.

I giggled. I didn't know anything about this man, but I'd swear that he only showed this side to me. It made me feel so special and wanted…..

"Oh suck it up. You'll survive." I yawned lightly. His smooth baritone had smoothed my nerves and I was feeling the effects of it.

"You need to sleep. I'll leave you to it." He said.

"Noooo! It's fine. I don't wanna sleep."

"Calm down, angel. You need to sleep. I'll hum for you." He then started humming a beautiful melody.

My eyes started shutting of their own accord. "Edward….." I whispered.

The last thing I heard before slipping completely into unconsciousness was something that sounded like "you're my life now….."

I woke up bright and early next morning. I felt different today, lighter. My mood was pleasant and I could think of one reason why. Edward. I quickly did my morning routines and headed to office. I had to come up with something to tell Angela and my other friends. I felt…. Protective of Edward. I didn't know what secrets he kept from me, but whatever the case, I didn't want to share him with anyone as of yet.

As I parked my car on my spot, I took a deep breath, thinking about Edward's "good morning" message. It literally made my day. I don't think anything could get me down from this high.

Of course, I spoke too soon. As soon as I stepped into the building, I was assaulted by Mike Newton, a colleague of mine and who didn't know the meaning of "No". He was persistent to the point where it got annoying and always followed me around like a lost puppy.

"Bella! Where were you yesterday? I wanted to invite you to this new club that we're gonna check out today. You could be my date." He said the last part as if I would be honored to be his date. I scoffed inwardly.

"No thanks, Mike. I pass"

I left his cocky ass behind, and headed to my office room. Yup, I had my own office room. And it was really nice too. I opened the door and set my laptop bag on the table. Just then, Angela came in with a steaming cup of coffee.

She gave me the cup and as I drank from it I told her, "Thanks Ang, you're a life saver."

She smiled at me. "So, what really happened yesterday?"

"Ah, I was heading to Starbucks, when I hit this guy with my car. I took him to the hospital. That's all."

"Then why did you sound so emotional? It was as if you lost something precious to you. "Angela raised an eyebrow.

"It was nothing like that, Angie. I was just scared that he might die because of me, so I sort of panicked." I said, hoping that she bought the lie. I couldn't exactly tell her that I possibly had feelings for the guy ever since I looked into his eyes, now could I?

"Oh, he's alright now, isn't he?" She asked.

"Um, yeah. He is. "I smiled.

"Okay then, so let's catch up on what you have to do today."

Then she proceeded to tell me all about the ongoing project. I listened attentively to every word she said, because, like I said earlier, I love my job. It's about the only thing that was good in my life. Until recently, that is.

We got into work. I went by the systems lab to check the progress of the new software that we were developing. I generated the basic algorithm, we then proceeded from there. It was a sort of tracking software we were designing for the government.

"It needs to be proceeded to phase two, Bella." Tyler Crowley, a tech told me.

"No, run diagnostics and then clear the errors on this one. Then we'll proceed." I told him.

"Whatever you say, boss. Your software, your rules." He grinned.

"It's not just mine, Tyler. I just started it."

"You're way too humble, Bella. It won't do you any favors in this world. People here wish they were you. Don't let them use you though." Tyler said.

Tyler was one of those people who was just good. He looked out for me and was always there when I needed him. He was sort of my pseudo brother.

"Yeah, yeah. Get working." I fake admonished him.

"Yes sir!" he mock saluted me.

This was the way things were around here. And something told me that was all about to change…

….

 **I hope you liked this chapter. It was mostly a filler chapter. :D so review please and let me know what you think. I will post the next one as soon as I can. It's about Bella visiting Edward and meeting the rest of his family. Secrets will be revealed…. Stay tuned….**


	6. Chapter 6

**DISCLAIMER: Stephanie Meyer owns twilight and its characters.**

 **CHAPTER 6:**

 **BPOV**

I sighed as I leaned against the railing on my balcony. It was a pretty long day today. Things just didn't go my way for once. There were a lot of work yet to be done on my software and my colleagues made a lot of mistakes which in turn made my temper flare. I wasn't usually like this. I knew the reason for my behavior. I was dreading Saturday like anything.

Maybe he wanted to just introduce me to the rest of the family? Oh who am I kidding? There was something going on and I knew Carlisle was gonna tell me what it was. I don't know why he would choose to tell me all this. That was another thing that baffled me. Why would Carlisle tell me, a complete stranger, anything that concerned them? Was it because he saw me as a weak girl who could be disposed of easily? Or was it something else altogether?

The only one who could give me some answers was Edward. I decided to call him.

I searched for his number in my cell and pressed send. I held my breath as the phone rang. It rang thrice before he picked up.

"Hi angel. Miss me?" I could hear the smile in his voice.

"Hi Edward. How are you?"

"I'm fine now. Much better." He said

"That's good." I was relieved.

"Baby girl? I know there's something bothering you. Talk to me" Edward cut to the chase.

"I'm just worried about Saturday." I sighed.

"Angel, listen to me. There's nothing to be worried about. You'll be perfectly safe. I promise you."

"What does he want to tell me Edward?" I asked.

He was silent for a moment. He then let out a huge breath.

"Bella, I can't really tell you that now. I don't want you to stress over that."

"Can't you at least tell me what it's about?"

He sighed through the phone. "There are some things about me and my family that you should know. My dad just….. Well, Carlisle is a good judge of character. That is what made him who he is today- a well respected maf….. errr man. And he knew the moment he saw you with me at the hospital that you are someone very important to me. He must have thought, that before things become complicated and deep, you should have an idea of what you are getting into.

I didn't want to tell you this over phone, but I don't have much choice. The fact is that, you are very important to me. I'm not explaining this any further because I want to tell this to your face should you choose to stay with me even after hearing what Carlisle has to say. So Bella, please be patient with me, and wait till Saturday. I swear on my honor that I will protect you, even from myself."

I was shocked. Though I didn't expect him to deny my request of telling me what was going on, I didn't think he would tell me this much. I couldn't voice what I was feeling towards him, to myself. But here he was, practically baring his soul to me.

"Say something, Bella." he practically begged.

"I just….. thank you for telling me all that Edward. I promise I will keep an open mind on Saturday." I said.

"That's all I could ask for. Now you should go and sleep. Please don't worry about anything."

"I won't. Goodnight Edward."

"Goodnight Bella. Sleep well, my angel."

I hung up and went to sleep that night, my curiosity sated. I kept repeating the entire conversation in my head. Whatever it was that the Cullens wanted to tell me, it was serious, very serious. 

I couldn't believe I was standing here in front of this huge mansion. Of course it made sense that Edward lived here. I was very nervous and apprehensive. Like Carlisle had told, the car arrived bright and early today morning. I was already dressed and ready to go when the driver buzzed me. When I reached downstairs, I was quite surprised to find the same Mercedes Guardian waiting for me. The driver whose name was Paul, greeted me politely.

It took us about forty five minutes to reach his home. It was in the middle of nowhere. The 'mansion' had a humungous gate which opened when Paul beeped us in. We went down the long drive way and stopped in front of the main entrance. The house was painted white all over and most of it had glass instead of walls, making it look expensively classy.

I nervously took a deep breath and got out of the car. Edward was standing near the front door, but as soon as he saw me exit the vehicle, he came towards me. He had a blinding smile lit up on his face which in turn made me blush and smile. He scooped me up in his arms ignoring the fact that he had his ribs cracked not a week ago.

"Edward!" I admonished him, "Your ribs…. Don't put pressure on it. Just put me down."

"No way, love. It's been too long since I last saw you and that is unacceptable." He growled.

I don't know who initiated it, but the next moment, we were kissing passionately. I had one of my hands twisted in his locks and his own were slowly creeping up my torso. His lips moved sensuously against mine, and as his tongue slowly traced my bottom lips, mine opened in response. He let out a loose growl which made reality crash down on me.

I, once again, separated myself from him, panting heavily. It didn't escape my notice that the car and its driver went missing.

"Um, we should stop. I don't think I would make a good impression on your parents if I were to molest their son." I told him sheepishly.

"It wouldn't be molesting if I was an equal participant, my angel." He answered in his deep husky voice. I shivered slightly.

"Yo, Edward. Quit hogging the girl and let us meet her!" A booming voice called out. I looked behind Edward to see a huge bulky man with black curly hair and ocean blue eyes which I recognized as Carlisle's. This must be Edward's brother Emmet, I concluded. He was sporting a bright smile showing all his teeth. The smile made him look more like a cute teddy bear especially with those dimples. He reminded me of the kind of older brother I've always wanted.

Edward turned around to look at his brother.

"Behave, Emmet. Or the consequences would be disastrous." He said in a cold voice that frankly, scared the hell out of me. But it had no effect on Emmet whatsoever.

Emmet let out a snort. "Ooh I'm scared! Please don't hurt me Mr. Boogeyman." He mock cried clasping his hands in front of him.

"That's it!" Edward cried and charged after Emmet.

"Mom! Eddie's gonna beat me up! Mom!" Emmet boomed and ran inside.

I started giggling at the scene. Frankly, it was too cute. I've never had a sibling and hence have never witnessed these kinds of interactions.

A caramel haired woman appeared at the door and sighed.

"Please excuse my children, honey. You would think they were raised in a barn. Lord knows they behave like it. "She said in that motherly sort of way. She smiled warmly at me that made me lose all the nerves. I felt home at once.

"I'm Esme. Edward's mother. Carlisle spoke very highly about you, Bella." She said, hugging me.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Cullen."I told her as I returned the hug.

"Please… Mrs. Cullen makes me feel old. Call me Esme or mom if you like, Bella dear. Come inside. Everybody's waiting for you"

"Thank you, Esme."

We quickly went inside. I felt like I was in heaven. The hall was very huge and was adorned with white curtains. The windows were wide open and the sunlight filtering in made it look ethereal. There were several photo frames nailed to the wall and it looked quite homey. I felt truly wonderful, being here.

There were several people sitting in the sofa. Carlisle, seeing me, rose up, which made the others stand as well. He came forward and hugged me.

"Good morning, Bella. I trust you are alright?"

"Yes sir, I am. Thank you." I replied politely.

He smiled and put his hand around my shoulders.

"I'll introduce you to the rest of the family. Come on." He smiled.

There were 3 people standing there, looking at me- a blonde super model with blue eyes and a warm smile was standing closest to us. Carlisle introduced her as Rosalie, Emmet's wife.

"Hello, Bella. Carlisle told us a lot about you. Frankly, I'm thankful that you removed the stick from doucheward's ass. I have to say, he's more tolerable now. Anybody who could do that has an A plus in my book. And you can call me Rose." She said, shocking me.

The whole room erupted in laughter while Esme cried out "Rose! Manners!"

I blinked twice then started laughing with the rest. Even Esme cracked a smile.

"Why, thank you Rose. I'm glad I could be of service." I said, still giggling.

"Moving on, this is my daughter Alice." Carlisle said as he pointed a short pixie-like girl who was quite literally bouncing in her place. She had a huge smile in her face.

"Word of advice: Keep away from her when she mentions shopping. Vicious, I tell you." He shuddered.

I was amused by the whole thing. I smiled at her and extended my hand. But instead of shaking it, she launched herself at me.

"We're gonna be great friends, Bella. Oh you look so beautiful. Just like Carlisle said. Imagine the possibilities! We could do a lot of shopping! Oh, I saw a pair of boots last day that would absolutely fit you. We could try it on and maybe go shopping for some clothes and there's this…" she rambled on.

"Um, it's nice to meet you Alice. But I don't really like shopping." I told her.

There was pin drop silence in the room as Alice's face turned into a mask of horror. The others were looking at me with varying expressions of pity.

"Much to learn you have young padawan." She sighed, quoting Yoda.

"Crisis averted." Carlisle whispered.

"Huh?" what just happened? I had no idea.

"I'll explain later. This is Jasper Whitlock." He pointed to the blonde guy with grey eyes holding Alice in his grip. "Jasper here is ex-military, an expert strategist and of course, Alice's husband."

"Nice to meet you Jasper." I smiled.

"Likewise Ma'am." He said with a southern drawl and kissed the back of my hand. I blushed slightly.

Seriously, what is with these men in Edward's family? They were all so charming and perfect. Too perfect. I wondered vaguely what was behind their facades. But I knew, whatever the case, it wouldn't change anything. I was slowly developing feelings for that man. And his family, who were all so welcoming, was becoming important for me. I sighed internally. Edward had, with a single encounter, made me his prisoner. Metaphorically speaking, of course.

Speaking of which, Edward entered the room with a shaggy looking Emmet in tow. Edward had an expression of victory contrary to Emmet who looked defeated. His lower lips jutted out and the big man was pouting like a kindergartener. The whole family looked amused and I knew I had the same expression on my face.

Edward crossed the room and quickly tucked me to his side. He then pressed a kiss to my forehead affectionately and nuzzled my head with his.

"You alright there, love?" He asked.

"Of course, Edward. Your family is amazing." I told him.

I turned around to look at his family and was surprised to see their expressions ranging from disbelief and shock to surprised and happy. I wondered what it was about. I guess I'll ask about it later to any one of them. I had an inkling though, as to what might be the reason behind it.

Carlisle cleared his throat loudly. "There is something we need to discuss, Bella." he said, seriously.

I nodded my head once. I knew this was coming. I was expecting the conversation the entire week. So why did I suddenly feel nervous? Scared? Was I scared that Carlisle might reveal something that would make me run away screaming? More importantly, would I? Should I? My inner self was in turmoil. My palms began sweating in response to his statement.

Edward took one look at me and raised his eyebrows in question. I just shrugged and shook my head. He took my right hand in his and rubbed soothing circles on it.

"Let's talk in my office." Carlisle informed me.

I silently followed him and Edward came behind me. We climbed the winding stair case to the first floor.

He opened a door to our left and let us in. The room looked like a small library; there were rows of shelves along both sides of the room containing lots of books, most of them medical journals. He stood behind a huge mahogany table and sat down.

"Please sit down, Bella." Carlisle said tensely.

The tension in the room was so thick that you could cut it with a knife. I sat down nervously and started fidgeting. Edward sat down beside me.

"I'm sure that by now you have figured that something is different with us. You are an intelligent woman, Bella."

"Um, yes I have. But I didn't want to make a fuss out of it. I figured you guys would tell me at some point." I said.

"Ok, so I'm just gonna come out with it. The thing is honey, our family is practically very old. We are the descendants of a great man who was the king of an empire. His name was Antonio Cullen. He ruled Chicago during the 19th century. He was feared and well respected. His name would instill terror in all who had come in contact with him. He was the king of the Chicago mafia, Bella. And the person sitting beside you is the leader of our clan today." He finished.

Holy fucking hell! I looked at Edward who was sporting a timid expression.

"Maf…ia?"

 **Whew! Chapter 10, people! I hope you enjoyed it. This chapter was pretty difficult to write. I kept going back and deleting what I wrote. So please review and tell me what you feel. Reviews make me feel loved :D**


	7. Chapter 7

**DISCLAIMER: Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight and its characters.**

 **CHAPTER 7:**

 **EPOV**

I stopped breathing. Just one word fell from her mouth.

"Maf…iiaa?"

I've stood at gun points, dodged bullets, and survived death like conditions. But not once in those situations have I felt a terror like this. I felt like I was floating in empty space without a tether to hold me on. Is this how it feels like to have a broken heart? I felt like mine would.

Her normally clear face was now clouded with several emotions. It was as if her mind was waging a war inside. Why? I didn't know. She seemed to be in a state of shock and I was scared all of a sudden.

Would this be it? If Bella decided never to see me again, would I have the strength to walk away? Most importantly, would I? I would no longer be a part of her life. She might move on from me, not that there is something solid between us. After all, we only kissed a handful of times. And I doubt it meant something for her. I mean, I knew it was some of the most precious moments of my life, but I wasn't sure what Bella felt about those kisses. Did she think I just kissed her for fun? For time pass? Did she have a grasp on how deep rooted her position is in my heart?

I had no fucking clue. And as I thought about how she would find someone else, white hot fury bubbled up in me. I would rip that motherfucker into pieces. No one touches her but me. No one gets to kiss her like that but me. She is mine!

Whoa! For the first time in my life, I knew what it felt like to be possessive of someone. And by the looks of it, it's gonna blow up in my face.

Anxiously, I looked at my father for advice. I didn't know what to do.

He was calm despite the circumstances, and he just shook his head and mouthed "Give her some time."

I nodded and once more, faced Bella. Even like this, she was beautiful. There was no hint of make up on her. Girls like Bella were rare. I knew it the first time I saw her, and even in my inebriated state I saw a beauty in her that was rare. And, as she tried to digest the information my father gave her, I was scared that this was it.

She blinked and fixed her gaze on me. In that second I decided, I was doomed. Because in her beautiful chocolate orbs, I was able to detect a single emotion: panic. I could see that she felt as if she wanted to be anywhere but here.

"Bella….. I know it's a lot to take in. But I swear baby, that I will never hurt you. Please know that. Just say something Bella….. I know what you are thinking. I am a monster Bella. But one thing I am incapable of, is hurting you….."

Her expression changed so quickly that I would have missed it had I not been staring at her. Her face was clouded with fury that could rival mine, and that is saying something. I wondered what made her so angry. Was she angry at me for putting her in this position? Was it because she hated who I was? The monster I am?

"Monster?" she snarled.

I flinched back at the venom in her voice. She was poised to strike and her body went into defensive mode. Maybe she was angry that I was a huge monster and wanted to attack me? A wave of crushing grief enveloped me. I could no longer look at her face. Instead I looked down and said,

"Yes Bella. I know you are disgusted with me, as you should be and all I …."

I couldn't finish my sentence because suddenly, my lips were too busy. Why, you ask? Because Bella's lips were on mine.

Yup. You heard it right. Bella was kissing me. I was ready for a million different outcomes. My mind was plagued with a variety of worst case scenarios that I came up with myself. I imagined her getting angry, maybe scared, or even disgusted. But never ever in a million years did I imagine this sort of response. And as a result I was unprepared.

But as her lips began retreating from mine, I jolted back and took control. With both my hands I lifted her off from her seat to my lap and began kissing her.

I don't know what evoked this sort of response from her but hell if I waste this. I made use of the opportunity that presented itself to me. My hands tightened around her and I crushed her to my chest. My lips were on fire, literally. We both fought for dominance and in the end I won. Using my tongue, I traced her bottom lips and begged for entry. She quickly opened her mouth and our tongues started dancing together.

In the distance, I heard the door slamming close. I guess Carlisle was giving us privacy. Without wasting another second, I lifted her up and carried her to the couch nearby and lowered the both of us. She was now lying underneath me with my right leg between both of hers. My hands of their own accord lifted up her shirt and were tracing her bra. I slowly edged my hand upwards and traced her curve. She shivered slightly and looked up at me.

"Edward Cullen, you are not a monster. And if I ever hear you saying that again, I will kick your cute butt." She growled.

I was shocked. That was what made her angry? She was angry not because I was a soulless monster who claimed lives but because I referred to myself as a monster.

She will never cease to amaze me.

"But… I thought….. Aren't you scared Bella?"

"Honestly?" I nodded. "No, Edward I am not. I know you won't hurt me. I trust you."

In those three simple words, she had me forever. She trusted me. This angel trusted me, and I vowed in that moment that I would never let her down. If she'd let me, I would take care of her in every way possible. I would spend the rest of my life proving my undying devotion towards this angel. For the first time in my life, I felt at peace.

Bella and I were currently sitting in the sofa discussing about my life. We never left Carlisle's study. There were a lot of things to know about each other and if we were to be in a serious relationship, we had to ensure that there were no secrets between us. By now, I already knew several aspects of my angel's life, like she was an only child and that my angel had a very advanced brain than the rest of her peers. I wasn't surprised that she graduated early from high school. Despite being so beautiful in and out, my Bella had a sharp brain.

I could see the glint in her eyes when I talked about the many software programs that Jasper, as the head of security, ran here. I smiled internally. I kept that piece of information stored in my mind.

She, in turn, asked me about how the entire thing works and about my position. She sat there listening patiently about everything that I had to say and never flinched at the gory details that I provided her with. I added a new quality to the list of qualities that she possessed. She was a strong woman.

In short, I was a very happy man. I had my woman in my arms and she knew each and every inch of me but still cared enough to be with me. The conversation took on a lighter note and I enquired her of her favorite color, food, movies, anything that I could come up with.

"Edward?" she asked gently. We were lying down on the couch with her on top of me. I was cradling her against my chest.

"Yes, angel?" I lightly stroked her beautiful cheeks that flooded with color as I did so.

"Umm…. What are we Edward? I mean, I know that I really care for you and you said that you do too and, well… I just wanted to clear this up and I don't exactly want you to label this or anything but…" she kept on rambling. Frankly, it was too cute but I decided to clear it up.

I smiled gently and kissed her ruby red lips ardently. A few moments later when we came up for air, I decided to get this show on road. After placing her on couch in a sitting position, I kneeled down beside her and took her hand.

"Isabella Marie Swan?"

"Yyy….eess?" I could see her lips trembling and eyes watering with what I hoped were happiness.

"From the very first moment I saw you I knew you were no ordinary woman. You have captured my attention like no other. And the first time I looked into your glowing chocolate orbs, I knew right there and then that you were the one for me. I was scared of telling you exactly what I feel for you in fear of scaring you away. But now that I'm sure about your affection towards me, I have to tell you Bella that I am unconditionally and irrevocably in love with you. Will you do me the extreme honor of being your boyfriend, your soul mate, your other half so that I may cherish you for years to come?" I finished my speech.

Believe me when I tell you that I wanted to give her a different kind of proposal. But I think she already had enough for today. Before Bella, I was someone who shied away from the concept of marriage. But now, all I could think about was her walking down the aisle towards me to be mine forever.

And oh! Did I love her. It was now that I could actually give a name to this nagging feeling in me. The confusion that I was feeling, the longing I felt when Bella was away from me, the hope that crept in me whenever she smiled….. It was love. I can't believe that me, Edward Cullen had fallen in love. It was an amazing feeling. And I hoped as hell that she returned it.

She was openly crying now. But I wasn't alarmed. Because on her face was a smile that could rival the sun. She was beaming at me with uncontained emotions and this gave me hope.

"Oh Edward!" she flung herself at me. I caught her easily and held her tightly in my grasp. I am never letting you go my dear angel, I thought.

"I …. I love you too. I don't know how or when but I am in love with you Edward Anthony Masen Cullen." She said.

I don't know how long we stared at each other, both smiling like utter fools in love, but our moment was interrupted with a knock on the door.

We both turned our heads to see Esme standing at the door with a brilliant smile on her face. She took in our positions and her smile widened even further, which I thought wasn't possible.

"It's been hours, so I thought you might be hungry. Lunch time is almost over and we were waiting for you." My mother said.

"Oh I'm so sorry Esme, I hope we didn't keep you guys waiting." My angel said worriedly.

"Oh hush, darling. It was nothing. Now I need to feed you two. I am pretty sure you didn't eat much in the morning. So come now."

"I am so feeling the love, Ma." I muttered childishly.

"Oh baby, I love you too. Now hurry up before Emmet eats all the food." We laughed at that. She quickly went downstairs.

I stood up and held my hand for Bella to take. She put her hand in mine and we trudged downstairs.

"Oh I should warn you, Emmet could be a bitch. He has never seen me showing so much emotion in the past….. well, forever, so he might tease you a lot about that. Just don't mind that goofball."

"I can take him." She said defiantly and jutted her chin.

"I am so proud of you baby." I purred and kissed her on the throat.

A loud wolf whistle shook us out of our personal bubble. Ah, Emmet. I sighed internally.

"Whooo! Looks like Eddie's getting some." He boomed. By now we reached the foot of the stairs and it looked as if Emmet was waiting for us.

"So Bella bee, how do you feel to be the one who cracked the mighty Edward?" he asked pretending to hold a mic towards her.

I pinched the bridge of my nose in irritation. But Bella being the beautiful angel that she was, squeezed my hand and let it go. She then tapped her finger on her chin pretending to be thinking and said

"Like Steve Jobs, but only without the apple."

The poor guy looked confused as hell. I could see my family members suppressing their laughs as was I. When it came to muscles, Emmet is the man. But general knowledge? Not so much.

"Huh! I thought it was that Newton guy who liked apple?" he scratched his head.

At this our whole family lost it and started laughing. And when I say everyone, I meant Bella too. She was a part of my family too.

"Em, she was talking about the man who made the i-phone." Jasper wheezed.

"You know what that reminds me of?" Emmet asked.

"What?" we chorused.

"Mom's apple pie that she made for lunch! Come on guys! I am starving."

With that we all went to the dining room where everything was setup. The table was lined with a variety of food, courtesy of Esme. She loved cooking and it was absolutely heavenly. I took a seat next to the Carlisle and Esme, who sat at the head of the table. Bella sat on my right side. Emmet sat opposite to me and Rosalie was sitting beside him. Alice sat with Bella on her right and Jasper took a seat next to her.

I looked around me and saw a future that was worth living. All the people whom I loved and who loved me were here and I basked in the happiness that I felt in this single moment. I kissed Bella's cheeks slightly and dug in.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

 **So there you have it. Chapter 7. I apologize if there are any grammatical mistakes. Please review and let me know what you think. ;)**

 **Love,**

 **Blooms at night x**


	8. Hugeeee sorry

Hey guysssss... I'm soooo sorry for the long break.. Some issues came up and

I had to deal with it... Personal stuff. But Im extremely sorry for making you guys wait for so long. I am here now and I swear I'm not gonna let you guys down. I'm going to update a new chapter soon. And I might be making a few changes. A million thanks for all those who supported me. I won't let you guys down . sorry sorry sorry . I have also starter writing in wattpad. You guys can check out my story. Its called Love to Hate you. Its a cute love story. The author name is bloomsatnight.


	9. Chapter 8

**Hey guys... Its been so long since I last posted a chapter so this one is for all you guys out there's who's been really patient with me. You guys are the best... Love you all...**

 **As usual.. Stephanie Meyer owns the characters of this story. I hope you all enjoy**

 **Bella POV:**

It was amazing to see Edward's family in action and be part of such a huge family. Emmet kept on cracking jokes, mostly sexual ones about me and Edward, but needless to say we ended up in stitches. Edward was seated right beside me and he had one hand of his on my thighs. It was nothing sexual. Just a gesture of comfort. And it made me feel right at home.

When I glanced at Carlisle at the head of the table with Esme on his left, perfectly content to just sit there and watch their children bicker, it made me realise something... Something that I have always wanted though never knew it till now. Yes my parents were awesome, and I had nothing to ask for as they provided me with everything... But this? This was perfect. This was .. Family. Emotions like never before stirred in me and I was scared that I might drown in it. I'm sure if anybody actually looked at me right now, they could see how affected I was. I was also pretty sure that my eyes would be shining with unshed tears. Tears of happiness though. From across the table, Esme glanced at me and proceeded to wink. ' _we love you'_ it said. And for the first time in my life, I felt complete with Edward by my side.

As to his being a Mafia leader, well I would worry over him constantly, miss him when he's away, pray that he comes to me in one piece. But aside from that I did not feel anything. The anger that coursed through me when Edward had deemed himself a monster was just too much for me to handle.

I saw no other way to make him realise the simple truth, that no matter what he's always gonna be just my Edward to me, than to kiss him senseless. That and I really wanted to kiss him.

Sigh.

"Are you alright,love?" Edward asked from beside ne.

I turned to face him and fell even more for him seeing his beautiful face etched in concern.

"I'm fine Edward...I'm just happy.. " I smiled genuinely wide at him showing what I really felt.

Without warning Edward stole a kiss from me.

"Eww ewww people. No PDA... My poor virgin eyes!" Emmet almost shouted.

I blushed beet red while Edward just snorted from beside ne

"Oh please. Your 'poor' eyes have never been virgin since you were like eleven or something."

Emmet inhaled sharply. He had a guilty look all over his face. We could see Esme fuming up at him.

"Emmet McCartney Cullen!" Esme boomed.

We all started snickering watching this big burly bear of a man cower under his mother's stare.

"Sorry mommy" he smiled sheepishly, showing off his dimples, looking at Esme.

We could all see her melt down right that instant, though to give her credit, she tried holding on to her stern face.

"Hmphff.." Esme muttered after which we all went back to eating.

After lunch, I helped Esme with the cleaning though she insisted she'd do it or have the staffs do it for them. I didn't budge and we both ended up spending time together talking about favourites and what not while Edward left for his room.

It seemed as though he's still pretty tired.

" Meet me in my room after this ,Bella " he whispered into my ear which made me have goosebumps.

After helping Esme, she shooed me away from the kitchen. In the drawing room I found Alice.

"Hey Alice? Can you show me where Edward's room is?" I asked her.

" Sure Bella. Comeonnnn..." She giggled.

As I was climbing the steps she suddenly asked,

"You love my brother, don't you Bella?"

I was stunned. I myself had only just admitted those feelings. Was I that much an open book?

"How'd you..."

"How'd I know, Bella?" She grinned deviously.

I nodded, sheepishly might I add.

"Well it's quite obvious you know. You carry your heart on your sleeves hon. Just be patient with my brother, okay? He can be an ass sometimes."

"Who's an ass?" A very annoyed velvet voice enquired. We looked to see Edward standing by a door which I'm assuming was his room.

"You of course my dear sweet brother." She scoffed.

"You lil minx."

"Butt-face"

"Evil pixie"

"Smelly ogre!"

"Twinkle toes."

"Jerk head!"

I started laughing at their cute behavior. If anybody could see them now ,both would easily pass off as normal siblings.

"Don't listen to her Bella! Let's go to my room." Edward growled out as he dragged me into his room. I turned behind to see Alice winking at me.

His room was... Normal. It looked like any other man's room, not that I have seen many. It had cream walls and was really freaking huge! He had a king sized four poster bed draped with nets. It felt quite intimate. I blushed at my thoughts.

He made me sit over the bed.

"Bella, love, there's something I wanna give you. Now as some might say it's too soon but I have a strong feeling about us and I really really want to. So uhm I hope you don't freak out." He laughed nervously.

"Okaaaaayyy..." I was curious. What was he so nervous about? He started fidgeting with something in his hands. I couldn't exactly figure what it was... It looked like... Oh! Was he going to? No I don't think he would. Right?

He then took a deep breath and showed me the contents of his hand.

It was a velvet box too big for a ring though. Curiously, I took it from his hands and opened its lid.

I gasped. Nestled among the satin bed lay a really beautiful bracelet. It was adorned with pure white stones which shined so brightly in the dim lighting of the room. I fell in love with it almost instantly. I wonder how much it cost him.

"Edward.." I breathed. "Its soo.. Perfect.. Wow. But it must have cost a fortune ,Edward. I really cannot..."

I was cut off from my ramblings when Edward placed his finger on my lips. He then carefully took the bracelet out of the box and clasped it on my left hand.

"It was my Nono's. She told me to give it to a special lady who captured my heart. I didn't think that was possible. But here we are. It seems only fitting that you wear it Bella. I.. I love you."

"I love you too Edward."

He broke into a brilliant smile. After taking the box and keeping it on his nightstand, he sat on the bed and took my face in both his hands.

"You have no idea how happy I am. I'm a lucky bastard and I'd die rather than let go of you ,love. You are forever mine baby."

I shivered at his overly possessive tone. But damn it, if it didn't sound so heavenly. His voice was thick with desire. His green orbs started darkening considerably.

Oh God! At that moment he looked exactly like a predator, just like he told me days ago, at the hospital. And I was his prey.

He slowly closed the distance and kissed the side of my mouth. He led a hot trail of kisses down to my neck and started sucking and licking. I clutched his bronze curls with both my hands and whimpered.

"Edwaaarrrddd..."

Suddenly there was a sharp pain on my neck sending bolts of desires through my body. I gasped at the wonderful sensation and told him to never stop. Edward was having none of that as he lifted his face from my neck and smirked oh so devilishly.

"Tell me baby, who do you belong to?" He purred. His voice was pure seduction and I completely melted.

"You ! God ! You Edward... Just you." I moaned out

God I sounded so desperate. But in my defence, if you were kissing Edward Cullen, you loose all reason.

He lowered me slowly into his soft mattress and pulled the drapes of the net curtain around carefully placed himself on top of me, resting his weight on both his hands. I was lying on his pillow with his hands on my both sides and his face inches from mine.

"Thats right baby. Mine. You are just mine." With that he crashed his lips with mine. I kissed him back fervently with my one hand clutching his hair and the other on his neck.

He sucked my bottom lip and then started licking it slowly asking permission. I opened my mouth eager to taste him, his tongue penetrating my mouth. He then started sucking my tongue and that's when I lost all reason.

I moaned out loud causing Edward to suck me even more. His hands, of their own accord, started unbuttoning my top.

I let him and as he removed my top, I lay there in nothing but a red Lacey bra.

"So beautiful..." He murmered.

He started kissing my neck again as one of his hands cupped my breasts. He started massaging it ever so slowly...

"Edwarrrdd.. Oh god.. Don't... Stoppp.."

He pinched one of my nipples and his mouth moved even further to my other breast. He then proceeded to lightly bite my nipple. I cried out loud and arched into him while he kept rubbing with his other hand.

He was sucking me over my bra and it felt so good.

I wanted soo much more... But for now, I pulled his head towards mine and kissed him deeply.

We never proceeded any further as we both knew it wasn't the time or place. For now I was content to lie in his arms... My forever was right here...

 **So that's chapter 8! I haven't edited it properly and it may have some grammatical errors. So please excuse me for that. I'm really in need of a beta. Someone to proofread my story and edit. So pm me and let me know. Please comment. Your comments are extremely valuable to me. Love you all.**

 **Blooms at night xx**


	10. Chapter 9

**Hello people...I wanna thank all who supported me and this story. Thank you for being there guys. Love you all...**

 **Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight.**

 **Now let's get on with our story...shall we? ;)**

 **Stranger POV:**

I watched as a beautiful brunette stepped out of the car. She had killer looks and a face that could make the angels cry. Wow... I've never seen that chic before. Wonder what she's up to.

Oooohhhhhh. This is good... This is really really good. I watched as the notorious cold hearted Cullen swallow her small frame in his hands and kiss the hell outta her. She had him wrapped around her little pinky, that lil bitch. And he looks at her like she's the answer to his prayers... Well this would most certainly be the bargaining chip that I need.

I smirked. This info is gonna be worth a shit pile of money. I've been tying to find that weak spot in his armour for so long now. Didn't think I'd be successful. And now that I have... I plan on using this to get what I need. Money.. And revenge on Cullen. Edward fucking Cullen... You're going down.

 **Bella POV:**

"Hey Bella. You look radiant today. Care to share?" Angela greeted me as I was about to enter my office.

I proceeded to wink at her and entered my office without exactly answering her. Let her stew for some time. I giggled quietly.

I was in an exceptionally good mood today. Well it started from Edward's cute text.

 _Good morning baby girl. I love u... Have a nice day today... And think about ur gorgeous boyfriend. ;) -E_

Needless to say, I've been doing exactly that. Thinking about him, I mean. It was the first time in my life that I felt so happy. A family.. I have a family ... That thought warmed me to my core.

I replied to his cute text saying _i love u too Edward._

Sigh... I was counting seconds till I get to see him again.. Which would be in six hours ,I guess.

The phone on my desk rang, shaking me out of my reverie.

"Isabella Swan." I answered.

There was no voice from the other side. Hmm... Maybe it's a wrong number?

"Hello? Is anyone there? " I asked again.

I was greeted again with nothing but silence. When I was about to hang up, I heard a small noise of someone exhaling.

Well that's creepy. I quickly hung up not bothering to spoil my good mood. Yep. It must be a wrong number.

I quickly got to work on my laptop regarding my new project. There was so much to be done. And even though this thing is pretty complicated and required a lot of effort, I loved it. Time passed by as I checked and rechecked the basic algorithm of my program for any flaws. I proceeded to make the improved version of the program I had written earlier, over writing any errors that might have happened.

Satisfied with my work, I went to the systems lab where Tyler was again working with the program.

"Any success Tyler?" I asked him from behind, as he was typing away furiously in his laptop.

"Shit Bella! " He jumped from his seat. I guess he was so engrossed in his work ,he must not have heard me coming in. Well, it happens to the most of us.

I laughed. "Sorry Ty. Here is the corrected one. I made some improvement on this one. Compile and run it for me will you?".

" Sure sure.. As long as you promise not to sneak up on me the next time." He narrowed his eyes.

"Sorry." I grinned sheepishly. I saw him fighting a smile and knew I was forgiven.

With that I went back to my office. On my way I grabbed a granola bar from the vending machine. Chewing the bar, I got inside my office once again. I stopped mid chew...

Something's wrong here.. I looked around to find what had triggered my instincts so badly. There on the couch I saw a small package..

Huh that's curious. Usually the staff lets me know if there's any delivery for me. So who brought this here?

Oh wait. Edward. I smiled .. It must be him. I was instantly relieved. Placing the granola bar on my table, I walked toward the couch to pick up the package.

It was a red package of about average size with a blue bow on top. A book?...

Curiously I opened it. After removing the beautiful red cover, I saw a plain white box. I sat on the couch and lifted the lid.

I was instantly shocked! What in the name of hell?! I dropped the package and it's contents spread on the couch.

I could do nothing but stare at it with a look of horror on my face. It definitely wasn't Edward who gave me this..

With dread coursing through my veins like vampire venom, I did the only thing that came up to my mind.

"Edward? I'm scared." I said pressing the phone to my ears with one trembling hand, after calling him on speed dial.

 **Edward POV:**

"Are you sure you are up for it son? You can rest some more." Carlisle told me as we were standing in front of the warehouse.

When Em had called dad to let him know that he caught the mother fucker who helped James Hunter, I stood up from the couch where I was sitting and without saying a word, went to my room. After putting on my Armani and making sure that the new Beretta was tucked safely in my back, I took off with dad. Jaz wanted to come too. But we didn't let him for two reasons. One, he was still a little banged up. Two, he could do more damage here, with a laptop, than on the field with a gun.

"Yes I'm sure. Now let's go." I said in a cold ,clipped tone.

I walked in to find quite a bloody scene. I was greeted by the scent of fresh blood and urine. We're dealing with a coward.. I see. There was six of my men inside of which two were standing in front of the coward slowly torturing him to death.

"Well what do we have here?" I said in a calm tone. The fucker looked almost in his mid twenties with brown hair and blue eyes. My boys did a pretty good job on him. He had a wide gash on his forehead, his nose was broken and blood poured out of it freely. He appeared to be covered in bruises. And I haven't even started yet.

I walked closer and took my gun out. With the trigger pointing at his temples, I asked "I'll only ask this once. Who do you work for?" I had a vague idea on who sent him, but I wanted to confirm.

" Go fuck yourself " he spat. Wrong move jackass.

I smiled at him and pointed my gun lower and shot. The asshole howled in pain and started crying like a baby. I snorted. Wimp. Well thats goodbye to his chance at having kids. Not that he's gonna live longer than today.

" WHO SENT YOU?" I asked enraged.

"Mm.. Marcus Volturi." He coughed out.

I could hear dad inhale sharply behind me.

Marcus Volturi. Where do I start? Known for his notoruisly cruel ways, he was a cold blooded killer who wanted nothing but money, power and women. He had an extensive racket of drugs, black money, prostitutes.. You name it. If there was anything dirty, it had Marcus's name on it. While the other mafia families were bound by honor and code, he had neither. The man played dirty, even going so far as to rape his own wife and selling her for a good price. Yeah he was the definition of evil.

Although he had considerable influence and money, he never could reach up to the Cullen name or influence. We were his biggest enemies and he made sure to annoy the fuck outta me with his continued attempts on making my empire fall. He had two brothers- Aro and Caius Volturi, both equally malicious and power hungry as their brother, but from what I could see, they respected family. The trio was quite feared in the mafia world, but not as feared as I was. I had more money and power than they could ever dream of and that was why they were behind me.

"Figured." I snorted.

Suddenly the man in front of me started laughing. Well I think he lost it. Better end this low life.

" Be careful Cullen. He's after your most precious wealth." He said deliriously.

I snorted. " I could give a fuck." I answered.

" Oh you should. We wouldn't want to cause any harm to poor, innocent Isabella now, would we?" He said and then continued laughing.

A cold chill went down my spine. I punched the fucker on his face and heard the snap of his jaw. Dislocated.

Well good. He deserved it. " What about Bella?" I spat, venom lacing my voice.

" I was asked to give information regarding anything new. And I did. I told them you have something you cannot afford to lose." He said and started laughing again. That son of a bitch. He put MY Bella in danger.

Without a second thought, I shot him point blank.

Carlisle who stood silent the whole time, put a hand on my shoulder.

"Son, it's not safe for her anymore. We should get to her as soon as we can."

I nodded. Yes. Bella, my Bella. I should get to her, I should .. A cell phone ringing shook me out of my reverie. "Edward, it's your phone." Dad said.

I took my phone and saw my angel's name. I immediately answered.

"Edward? I'm scared" her shaky, low voice rang out in the silence of the room.

Without saying anything, I bolted out the door with dad hot on my heels. I needed to get to my angel and fast.

 **Ooh. I guess Bella is in trouble now huh? Poor Edward.**

 **I hope u all liked the chapter. Leave me a comment and lemme know. Love you all..**

 **Blooms at night xx**


	11. Chapter 10

**Hello guys... Once again. Thankyou everyone for supporting me. ...**

 **Bella's POV:**

I heard his quick intake of breath and sounds of him hurrying. I knew Edward would be here. I fleetingly thought I should give him the address to my office. But there's no need I guess. It was Edward. I doubt there was anything he did not know. I placed my phone on the couch and tried taking my eyes off the sight in front of me.

But it was like one of those situations where you could not ,even if you wanted to. The box lay open in front of me. It was about the size of a book. The metallic scent wafted to my nose as I gagged. The inside of the box was filled with photos. A lot of photos. Most of it wasn't clear as there was blood spilled over it. But from what I could see of the contents inside,it seems to be my pictures. Taken, obviously from a little distance away.

There was pictures of me getting out of the car Carlisle had sent last week. Pictures of me hugging Edward. Us kissing in front of his house. It didn't end there. No... There were photos of me entering my work building, me getting out, me with Angela while we were having lunch outside. There was one thing though. One pattern I noticed. All these photos, they were after I met Edward. After I went to his house last Saturday. And it didn't take a genius to figure out why I was being targeted.

I thought to the first time I saw Edward. It's hardly been a month. The first time I saw him... He was covered in bruises and blood.

And for a person like him, it was nothing. "It's just a minor wound Bella." He'd told me when I made a "fuss" about him walking without help, and wandering up and about instead of taking a rest. He had been severely injured from what I knew. And only a week after, he stared walking without help as if it was nothing. Apparently it's not good for a Mob boss like him to show weakness. And it made me scared out of my wits to know that this wasn't the first time it had happened. But I really didn't know how one could get used to these "minor wounds" as Edward would call them.

It never did hit me fully, now that I think about it. The fact that he was the top leader of one of the biggest criminal organizations in the world. In the little time that I've known Edward, which was almost a month, he had never exposed me to his other part. I always knew he was scared that I might run away. But now as I looked at the bloody sight in front of me it made me realise something. This... This wasn't anything that anybody could get used to. And it didn't help that I jumped into this relationship head first without giving it much time. Not that I regretted my decision of being his.

On the contrary it only made me the happiest that I've ever been. The only problem was that in the hustle and bustle of this new love, we never stopped to think for a minute. Because let's face it, I wasn't just being his girlfriend. I was being the target to a million enemies he might have. And I never really thought about how to react in such unusual circumstances, like the one right now. He needed a strong woman, one who would not only stand by his side, but fight by his side too. One who could stand in gunpoint and still be cool as a cucumber. One who could see the bloody sight in front of me and still be calm and collected. And what was I being right now? Oh wait... Thats right.. Scared. Scared out of my mind.

I had told Edward millions of times that I knew what I was getting into and that I would love him no matter what. But one incident and I'm shaking like a leaf. And for the first time today, I felt disappointment towards myself.

I heard sound of my doors being opened. I had no time to look who it was, as I was enveloped by a warm body. Edward's sweet, natural scent was all around me and for the first time since I opened that box I felt safe.

"Bella , baby are you alright?" Edward asked holding me such that he could see my face. I looked upto his wonderful eyes shining with worry and concern.

"I am now" With that I buried my face into his chest and took a deep breath. Call me weird, but his scent helped me calm down. His hand tightened around me and for a second, I wished things were easier. I wished it would just be me and him.

From behind me I heard Carlisle telling Edward about the contents of the box. Huh I didn't hear him getting in. I really should be more careful of my surroundings from now on... Edward's body tensed in response to what Carlisle was saying. Sigh... Now what? I hope he doesn't go into a frenzy. I looked up to his face again, and saw that his face was stormy. There was barely concealed rage on his face and his eyes were dark. I gulped. This Edward was scary and terrifying. I hate to think about the person on the receiving end of Edward's wrath.

"... Blood... Human... Can't just..." Carlisle's voice was muted suddenly as Edward covered me more with his body encasing me in his arms, my safe haven. Briefly I heard Carlisle again, saying that he would take care if the box. So I assume it was just us now. We were enveloped in a thick blanket of silence and I dare not break it. For now... Being in Edward's arms felt like heaven. And I would remain so until he'd break it.

Slowly ... So slowly as if he was scared I would break, he lifted my face upto his. And as our eyes met, I saw a myriad of emotions in his eyes. His eyes had a slight hazel color to his emerald ones now that I looked close. And they were gazing at me with such concern that it took my breath away.

" For the first time in my life... I'm scared Bella... " he whispered. Right then, I saw a man who's broken inside. Seeing him like this, had me in tears. I took his face in my hands and slightly brushed his cheeks.

"Don't be Edward. I'm right here. We're alright. We are safe. I love you.. " I then kissed his forehead and stayed there for a minute or two.

A throat clearing interrupted us from our little world. I looked towards my door and saw Carlisle standing there with a little smile on his face at the scene in front of him. I blushed instantly in true Bella fashion.

"I'm sorry to break up this little love fest but we should get going. I took care of the... Uhm.. Contents of the box. Bella, if you can take a leave today that would be really useful. We really need to get to the bottom of this."

I nodded and smiled at him, not having the strength to say anything else. He winked at me and went out again gesturing us to follow him. I untangled myself from Edward, he was reluctant to leave me. I smiled at him and looked at the door gesturing that we should follow Carlisle. For some reason words left him as he kept staring without saying anything. Then slowly, as if waking up from a dream, he collected himself together and put his hands around my waist, heading out the door.

...

"...and of course the Volturi won't be any less innocent in this matter, those motherfuckers!" Emmet boomed.

"Em! Language!" Esme chimed scoldingly.

" Sorry Mama Es." He gave out his signature smile with dimples that had Esme punching his cheeks as if he was a little kid.

One word stood out among all this. One word that, for some unexplainable reason, had me shivering with cold dread. _Volturi..._

Now where have I heard that word before... I wracked brain for the word. From the seriousness in these people's face one thing was quite clear. Whoever they were, it seems the Cullen's were quite uneasy about them. And the only thing that would scare them was... Oh! Of course. THE Volturi. I remember reading about one Marcus Volturi a couple of years ago. Something related to a murder case in which, of course he was let free. The initial Judge had, then died suspiciously, which caused quite a stir in the political world. There were a lot of protests from the public for the arrest of this man, though there was a curious lack of proofs all of a sudden. Everyone knew what had happened though there wasn't anybody brave enough to outright point a finger at him.

Once again, I was overwhelmed at the magnanimity of all this. I looked across the room and saw Edward pacing back and forth arguing to someone over phone. He's been at it for more than an hour and I wondered who the unlucky one at the other end was. Because from the looks if it, Edward was ripping him a new one.

This went on for another ten minutes until he locked him eyes with me. There was steel resolve in his eyes, as he cut the call and headed straight towards me. He sat down in the couch I was sitting, in the Cullen's living room, and put his hands around me.

"I will not let anything happen to you, Bella" he whispered.

"I know you won't, Edward." I smiled tearing up. At this point I was more concerned at seeing the man like this, than what happened today.

From the corner of my eyes, I saw the rest of the Cullen's smile at us. Even Jasper was here, quite banged up might I add, smiling at us. He was supposed to be on full rest. But the stubborn streak ran through the entire organization, I guess. He was up and about, with a little help from little Alice.

"You would be assigned a bodyguard, love. He would shadow you from afar. At this point I'm not taking anything for granted and I want you protected at all costs." Edward said.

What?! They can't be serious! A bodyguard? For me?! How am I going to explain that in my office? It had been difficult enough, asking them for a leave as soon as I got into work. And now this? They would be suspicious. No matter how "afar" this guy would be, I'm sure somebody is bound to notice.

"Please Edward. You can't be serious! Everybody would notice if I came office everyday with a hundred pound hulk!" I cried out.

Hearing my statement, everybody laughed out loud, causing me to drown in confusion.

"What did I say, guys?" I asked

Emmet was, by now,rolling in the floor laughing and saying 'hundred pound hulk' over and over. Even Edward had his shoulders shaking in silent laughter.

I tied my hands and huffed out. I knew I must have looked like a kid at the moment, but I didn't care.

Still chuckling, Edward put his hands on my shoulders.

"Well, let me put your cute lil mind out of misery. When I was calling somebody for the past one hour and a half I was actually setting things up so it wouldn't look suspicious. And no, there isn't going to ba a hundred pound hulk. Your bodyguard, she would be here any moment. And she would be joining tomorrow as the new staff in your office."

"She?" I asked.

"Yep. She."

On cue we heard the purr of an engine outside. It died down and we heard a set of heels clicking. The door opened and in walked a figure that looked like she came straight out of Vogue's cover. The blond walked right over to Edward and as he stood up to greet the strawberry blond, I noticed with jealousy, the jubilant smile on Edward's face.

She then straightened up and looked at me. We stared for some seconds , as I refused to back down from her penetrating gaze. Somebody in the background cleared their throat and that's when she blinked her eyes. Her face lit up with a perfect smile and with a tinkling voice she said...

" I'm Tanya Denali, Edward's cousin. I like you very much Isabella Swan, and something tells me we are gonna get along really good. " I could only stare at her in shock...

 **Well there you go people. The next chapter. Hope you all enjoyed it. I am sorry for the delay but I hope you guys forgive me. As always your comments make my day. I love you people!**

 **-blooms at night.**


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